Previous name:
Subsequent name:              OKEANOS,  Arenzo

Official Number:                    106802

Class:                                      Kite Balloon Ship / Depot Ship

Pennant No:                           Y4, 46, N16

Laid down:                              1896
Builder:                                    D & W Henderson & Co., Meadowside

Launched:                              13 July 1896
Into Service:                            1916
Out of service:                         1918
Fate:                                         1919 Returned to owners Lamport & Holt Line

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data:   Some official lists, marked as  “Lists of RFA’s” show vessels which spent some time as RFA’s during the First World War. These records are extremely sketchy and some of these vessels were “Yard Craft”, partially or wholly Dockyard manned, partly by RNR or Reserve Fleet personnel. Some of the Depot Ships staffed by skilled civilian Dockyard workers were for a time White Ensign. The Director of Stores was understood to be concerned with their manning and operationally they remained under Admiralty control

13 July 1896 Launched by  D & W Henderson & Co Ltd, Partick as Yard Nr 393 named  CANNING for Liverpool, Brazil & River Plate Steam Navigation Co Ltd (Lamport  &  Holt Ltd, Managers) Liverpool

August 1896 completed

21 September 1896 sailed Liverpool on her maiden voyage to Rio de Janeiro and Valparaiso

30 January 1898 sailed Rio de Janeiro to New York

17 July 1898 arrived at Gravesend from Montevideo

28 December 1898 sailed Lota for Liverpool

11 February 1899 sailed Liverpool to West Coast of South America via Glasgow

May 1915 Hired by the Admiralty as a Transport under the Red Ensign.

28 June 1915 purchased by the Admiralty name unchanged

29 June 1916 commissioned as a Kite Balloon Ship and served in the  Mediterranean

24 September 1915 Lieutenant Harry B Russell RNR discharged dead. Remembered with pride on the Plymouth Naval Memorial

2 October 1915 Arrived Gallipoli to relieve HMS (Later RFA) MANICA and was subsequently awarded the Dardanelles 1915 Battle Honour

31 December 1915 Merchant Navy Seamen E O'Connor, A Kelly and T Flahery remained ashore at the end of their leave and when they returned to the ship were drunk

1 January 1916 anchored at Salonika 

3 January 1916 Seamen O'Connor, Kelly and Flahery all forfeitted 2 days pay and also sentenced to 10 cells each

17 April 1916 sailed Salonika to Porto Lagos - Ballon up spotting for HMS Earl of Peterborough

18 April 1916 sailed Porto Lagos to Salonika and anchored

20 April 1916 Royal Naval Defaulter Fegan and Gibson absent over leave by 24 hours sentenced to forfeit 8 days pay

27 June 1916 service as a Kit Balloon Ship ended

1916 on return to the UK brought the wreckage of Army Zepplin LZ85 which had been shot down on 5 May 1916 over Salonika back to Barrow in Furness

1917 became a Depot Ship at Scapa Flow

December 1917 Warrant Engineer Edgar Ashworth RNR appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

24 May 1918 Acting Lieutenant Commander Vivian I Wiles RNR appointed in command

1919 returned to previous owners

21 January 1920 Purchased for £100,000 by Madame G. Visalia (J. Vassilou, Manager) Piraeus and renamed OKEANOS

December 1924 purchased by Ditta Luigi Pittaluga Vapori, Genoa and renamed ARENZANO

2nd Quater 1925 Broken up at Genoa, Italy

Ships of the same name

Canning. (ex Golconda) A Troopship of the Royal Indian Marine, 2,246 tons, 370 x 36 feet built by Inglis and launched on the 15 November 1882.